A practical procedure for catalytic asymmetric synthesis of opticallyactive arylglycine derivatives viaopticallyactive α-aminonitriles has been developed. The N-benzhydryl α-arylaminonitrile intermediates were prepared in excellent yield (89–99%) and enantiomeric purity (96 to >98% ee) by enantioselective cyanation of aldimines with TMSCN/iPrOH in the presence of 2.5 mol % of an easily prepared